


Tyrant of Hoshido

by LilacPrince



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Child Abuse, Pre-Canon, Roleswap, sparring match that turns brutal, what if
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-03-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:28:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23284012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilacPrince/pseuds/LilacPrince
Summary: Takumi has always been told Hoshido has been blessed with good and just rulers throughout history. He wonders how history will describe his father in that case.---A what-if where Sumeragi is the one who becomes corrupt, and how this changes those around him.
Kudos: 20





	Tyrant of Hoshido

**Author's Note:**

> Started thinking about how the story would change if the roles were swapped - if it was Sumeragi that was possessed, and here we are.   
> Sumeragi's personality, or the little bit that we see here, is largely based on how he was shown in the revelations route under Anankos' control.

The warm Hoshidan sun shone down on the royal palace, illuminating the dust and dirt that had been stirred up on the training grounds and now coated Takumi's clothes. As he greedily gulped down cold water he grimly noted that his own outfit was much dirtier than Ryoma's was, a testimony to which of them had the most victories. So far Takumi hadn't won a single sparring session, and he was starting to feel exhausted. The wooden training sword was resting against Takumi's leg, and Takumi wondered quietly to himself if he would have a bigger chance of winning if he had a bow in his hands instead. He had become more and more skilled with the bow, and had dared to start dreaming about one day holding Fujin Yumi in his hands. But Hoshido's pride were the samurais with their devastating skill with the sword, with King Sumeragi at the top, and as a Hoshidan prince Takumi had to excel with the sword as well, even if his main weapon became the bow. Ryoma, who was standing with his own training sword resting against his shoulder and gulping down water as well, already lived up their father's high expectations with his great swordsmanship. Takumi on the other hand...

"You've improved, you know", Ryoma said suddenly, pulling Takumi from his thoughts. Takumi looked up at Ryoma, trying to find any trace of sarcasm in his voice or expression. But Ryoma was smiling at him, a genuine smile that had become rarer to see lately.

"Thanks", Takumi said finally. Even if there was a possibility Ryoma didn't mean it (how could he? Takumi didn't feel like he had improved) it was worth taking the compliment if it meant luring out more of Ryoma's rare smiles.

"Shall we go one more round?" Ryoma suggested, putting away his water.

"Sure", Takumi agreed and put away his own water before forcing himself up on his feet again. He was exhausted, and he didn't know if he could go all out this round, but he wouldn't let himself give up just yet. He just wanted to knock Ryoma back, just wanted a little bit of edge over his older brother, that was all he asked for. His fingers itched as he changed his grip on his sword.

The two of them went back out on the training grounds, and fell into the familiar stance. Ryoma changed his grip on his sword a little, and his face became more serious. Takumi ground his feet into the dust, corrected his stance a little, and looked back at Ryoma. Just one good hit, just one opening, just one moment of advantage... That was all he wanted, what he was striving for.

"Ready?" Ryoma asked, and Takumi nodded. He waited half a beat, and then attacked. He dashed forward, raising his sword and aimed for Ryoma's neck. Ryoma easily parried, took half a step to the side, and pushed Takumi away with his sword. Takumi's feet slid in the dirt as he was pushed backwards, but it was not enough to overpower him. He quickly attacked again, this time aiming for Ryoma's side, but that hit was easily parried as well. Ryoma's defense was solid, and no matter how much Takumi attacked he couldn't find a crack, couldn't find the opening he sought. He tried to take advantage of the fact that he was smaller and more agile, faster than Ryoma was, but it didn't measure up to Ryoma's experience and reflexes.

As Ryoma once again pushed Takumi back, Takumi stayed back for a moment, breathing and trying to come up with a new strategy before dashing against his brother again. His chest heaved as he looked Ryoma up and down, and he felt frustration build up inside him that he hadn't managed to even move Ryoma from where he had been when their sparring begun. He needed a new strategy... What could he use against Ryoma?...

"You're holding back, Ryoma."

The voice made both of the boys tense, and they both glanced to their side. Sumeragi was standing by the training grounds, arms crossed over his chest and the usual look of displeasure he wore when he watched his sons spar. Neither Takumi nor Ryoma had heard him arrive, and Takumi saw how Ryoma's face shifted from lighthearted determination to a serious look, void of emotion.

"Father", Ryoma said. "We didn't notice-"

"I said, you're holding back", Sumeragi repeated. "Do it again, and this time don't hold back."

"But-"

"Do as I say."

Ryoma fell silent, and then looked back at Takumi. When Takumi saw the new look of sadness and bitterness in Ryoma's face he felt fear well up in his chest. It wasn't a feeling that lasted long, for the second after it was replaced by pain when Ryoma suddenly attacked. His sword fell from above his head against Takumi, who lifted his sword to parry. The second after he lifted his arms he was kicked in his now open chest, and stumbled backwards. A strong jab against his head with Ryoma's sword was all that was needed, and Takumi landed in the dirt, gasping for air. His head hit the ground when he went down, and pain crashed through his entire body. His vision was swimming and the air had been knocked out of him after the kick to the chest. He stayed down, unable to keep fighting when he could only gasp after his breath.

Ryoma lowered his sword, looking down at his beaten little brother.

"What do you think you're doing, Ryoma?" Sumeragi asked, taking Ryoma's attention.

"What do you mean, Father?"

"You lowered your weapon."

"Yes? I am the winner, am I not?"

"You haven't won until your opponent is unable to fight back."

At that Ryoma glanced down at Takumi, who was still lying in the dirt, tears in his eyes at the pain and clutching his hurting head.

"I... don't think Takumi can keep fighting, Father", Ryoma said quietly. Sumeragi didn't answer. Takumi glanced up when he heard the sound of heavy footsteps in the dust, and did so just in time to see Sumeragi draw his dark sword Ganglari. Fear welled up in Takumi's chest again as he saw his father approach him with sword in hand. Takumi scrambled for his sword, forcing his body to work long enough to wrap his fingers around the sword's hilt and somehow, with his eyes squeezed tightly shut in case he didn't make it, managed to raise the sword over his head in time to parry the attack from Sumeragi's blade. At the sound of steel hitting wood Takumi dared to open his eyes, and met Sumeragi's cold ones staring down at him. Sumeragi studied his son for a second, and then withdrew, sheathing his blade again.

"Clearly he can still fight", Sumeragi said to Ryoma. "You've won nothing."

"Understood, Father", Ryoma mumbled, his grip on his sword tightening.

"Stand up, Takumi", Sumeragi spat before he walked back to his original spot, leaving his sons room to fight properly. Takumi struggled to obey, forcing himself up on his feet. Pain still pulsated in his body whenever he moved, and his head was aching. His reflexes hadn't been fast enough to anticipate Ryoma's attacks before. In his present state Ryoma could have knocked him over by poking him. As Takumi once again fell into an attack stance, trying to ignore his pain, he realised he didn't even wish to land a single hit any longer. Now all he wished for was that his defeat would be relatively painless. But considering their father's orders about not holding back, that seemed rather unlikely. Takumi tried to swallow down the lump in his throat, but with no success.

When Ryoma attacked this time Takumi barely managed to realise he should parry. His head was aching, and it was hard for him to keep up with Ryoma's speed and strength. It took everything in Takumi to parry the first blow that fell against him, he didn't even see the next blow before it made pain explode in Takumi's side. He gasped in pain, stumbling backwards as he clutched his aching side. He forgot to try to parry the next blow, and only saw a blurry past his eyes before he felt the pommel of Ryoma's blade collide with the side of his head, right by the ear. His vision blackened at the intense pain, and he stumbled to the side. Mercifully enough his conscience slipped away before he hit the ground, sparing him at least that ounce of pain.

\---

Takumi woke up to knives piercing his body, or at least that's what it felt like. His vision was swimming as his head exploded with pain. He let out a pained wheeze, gritting his teeth as he clutched his aching head. It hurt to even breathe. Had one of his ribs been cracked?

"Ah, you're awake!" a familiar voice said, saying the phrase that shouldn't be as familiar as it was.

"Morning, Sakura...", Takumi groaned. He couldn't bring himself to turn his head and try to look at her, his aching body protested against every movement, but he knew it was her.

"Come on, sit up."

"I'd rather not, thank you very much."

"B-but!" Sakura whined. "I'm supposed to give you medicine when you wake up! You can't drink when lying down!"

Takumi glanced over at his little sister. She was sitting by his bedside, clutching a small cup of medicine in her hands. Her eyes were filled with tears, and Takumi wasn't sure if it was because she was distressed that he was wounded again, or because he was such an uncooperative patient. Either way, Takumi couldn't stand being the cause of Sakura's tears, so with a defeated sigh and a lot of pained groans he forced himself to sit up. Black spots danced in his vision, and he didn't want to know how the bruise on his side looked. But he was sitting up, and he drank the medicine that Sakura pushed into his hands.

While he downed the bitter medicine Sakura checked the bandage that Takumi now realised was wrapped around his head. While he bit down more groans of pain at Sakura's inexperienced hands checking his bruised body he noticed that they were alone. Normally Sakura's teacher, who was guiding the young princess in the arts of healing (the youngest student he had ever had, as Takumi had heard him mumble earlier) was in the room as well, overseeing and guiding Sakura as she checked Takumi.

"Where's the old man?" Takumi asked. He was rather happy that serious old fart wasn't present, but he was surprised that the man had let Sakura take care of any patient without his more experienced eye there to oversee thing.

"Oh, he... He said that this was a routine thing I had done enough that I should be able to do it without his help", Sakura mumbled. She gave a small smile. "Which means I'm getting better, aren't I? Maybe I'll get to use a staff soon!"

"Aren't you too young to use a staff?"

"That's what teacher said when I wanted to learn healing, but look at me now!" Sakura was smiling widely at Takumi, and Takumi couldn't help but smile back. Sakura could always manage to cheer Takumi up, even when he was in so much pain. He loved to see her sweet face, and see her as proud as she was when she talked about how much better she was getting.

"Glad to hear it, Sakura", Takumi said. "Because I need you to go get that staff you were talking about, I think Ryoma cracked one of my ribs."

Sakura's face fell, and she sighed as she stood up.

"I'll go get teacher, I'm not good enough to know how to fix that", she said. Takumi lied back down on his bed again, staring up in the roof, when he realised another thing. He and Sakura were alone in his room. Which could only mean...

"Hey, Sakura?" Takumi called out, making Sakura pause. "Any word from Hinoka?"

"No, nothing", Sakura said in a sad voice, confirming Takumi's theory. "I'm getting worried, it has been days. What if something happened?"

"Hinoka has been gone for days before. This isn't the first time, and I dare say it's not the last time. She'll be fine", Takumi said, both to convince Sakura and to convince himself. Hinoka was good with a naginata, and she had always come back in one piece from her previous outings. Yet worry always gnawed in Takumi when Hinoka was gone for more than three days. What if this time?...

"I'm gonna get teacher...", Sakura mumbled. "And... and I'm gonna check if there's any word from Hinoka. Maybe they just forgot to tell me..."

Before Takumi could say something to cheer her up the door to his room was closed behind Sakura, and the sound of her steps down the hallway echoed until it finally faded away. Takumi sighed, rubbing his forehead. He wondered what Hinoka did on all her outings with her pegasus, but she always refused to tell him or anyone else. Not even Ryoma could get an explanation from her. But she was a good fighter, and even if she sometimes returned famished and with her clothes torn and bloody, she never needed any major attention from the healers. Takumi on the other hand...

As he was staring up in the roof the last sparring session began churning in his head. Sakura was improving so quickly... Ryoma was one of the strongest swordsmen Takumi knew, apart from their father. He had even already been chosen by Raijinto. Hinoka never sparred with any of them, but Takumi had sometimes managed to spy on her when she was on the training grounds late at night, raining down hits on a training dummy. She was a terror with the naginata, he could tell, even if he had never seen her use it on a moving opponent. Ryoma had said Takumi had improved as well, but Takumi wasn't sure about that. Had he? He still couldn't land a hit on Ryoma. Maybe Ryoma had just said that to be nice...

Takumi closed his eyes, and thought back to earlier in the morning, when he had been on the training grounds by himself. Just him and his bow, as he fired arrow after arrow to the target. Today he had had his highest percentage of bullseyes yet, and he had been proud of himself and his abilities, right until Ryoma had knocked him into the dirt a few hours later. A longing for his bow sat in his chest, and Takumi itched to go out and beat his own record. He was slowly creeping closer and closer to a 100% rate, and he longed for the day when he could fire an arrow and be confident that it would hit it's mark. Maybe that day he too would hold a divine weapon in his hands. He wondered how it felt like to shoot an arrow with Fujin Yumi...

As soon as he could stand up without falling over in pain, he would go out on the training grounds with his bow. It always made him feel better. Not to mention he was less likely to get a concussion when practising with his bow instead of the sword. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Kudos and comments are highly apprecieated!   
> I promise the next thing I post will be more lighthearted-


End file.
